Dragons walk off, wait, win in wacky finish

The Dayton Dragons had seemingly closed out the first half of their Midwest League season on a strong note. After tying up the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jose Ortiz singled to left field to score Gavin LaValley from third base for the 5-4 win in the 11th. 

Or so they thought.

The Dragons and umpires J.C. Velez and C.J. Davis left the field and headed down the tunnel toward their respective clubhouses, but the Captains remained. They contended Paul Kronenfeld, who was on first at the time of Ortiz's hit, never successfully reached second base because he joined in the team's celebration prematurely. With two outs in the inning, his forceout at second would have ended the inning and sent the game into the 12th. In other words, it should have been another Merkle's Boner, similar to the one pulled off by Great Lakes in 2013, and of course, the original against New York Giants rookie Fred Merkle in 1908.

However, since the umpires had left the field and replay/reviews aren't allowed in the Minors, the game should have been deemed official at that moment, missed forceout or not.

Both teams returned to the field while the umpires called Midwest League officials to get a ruling. In a bizarre scene, children -- they, too, assuming the game was over -- were running the bases around Dayton's Fifth Third Field as they do after every Sunday game. All involved had to wait 33 minutes before the umpires ruled the game was indeed over and the Reds affiliate was given the win. Following the announcement, the Captains filed a formal protest.

Dragons manager Jose Nieves understood both sides under normal circumstances, but thought the right call was made, given the odd way Sunday's game was decided.

"I know we have the rights to appeal as a manager," Nieves said. "I've seen it before with forceouts like this. But in this case, it's a little different because all the players from each team had cleared the field. [Ed. note: Lake County stayed on the field to protest the call.] My team went into the clubhouse. The umpire crew went into the tunnel. Then, some minutes later, the manager [Shaun Larkin] decded they wanted to appeal. It's senseless. At some point, it's a judgment play, and it should be called our way. I know every single player has to touch base, but the umpire didn't see that. Even when they're calling their supervisors, once you leave the field, the game is simple."

The most bizarre thing to Nieves was the 33-minute wait. Given the relative regularity of an appeal, the call "could have been done in a heartbeat," said the Dayton manager who would not comment on whether he saw Kronenfeld touch second or not. Instead, players from both sides had to wait out what was essentially a non-official review at a level that doesn't allow such things. According to Nieves -- and eventually the umpires involved -- once the men in black left the diamond, the game became official.

"There was no argument whatsoever. Let me put it clearer. You have to decide to do something in the game. I can't go to the hotel, decide something went wrong, make a phone call and tell umpires to meet me for the game at midnight. It doesn't happen. The play is on the field. Everything has to be on the field. In this case, the umpires are the judges on the field, and they left."

With the game official, Ortiz finished 3-for-5 with the RBI and a walk. LaValley led all hitters on a 4-for-6 afternoon with a homer, two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs. 

Captains left fielder and No. 21 Indians prospect Dorssys Paulino tripled, drove in a run and scored out of the cleanup spot.